In Greek mythology, Cassandra was a cursed prophetess. She was gifted with prophecy but the curse ensured her predictions would never be believed. Not that it stopped her from speaking out. It behoves all of us to speak out about what is wrong but also about what is right. We can do that in our creativity whether it be prose, poetry or painting. What matters is the message.

Fear-based and profit-driven science/medicine with an arrogant disregard for the wisdom of nature led to the ‘fashion’ of elective C-section by encouraging women to believe that natural birth was something to be feared and beyond their capacity, and that medical intervention would always be safe.

The high levels of intervention in birth, including the tendency to ‘induce’ for the convenience of the doctor as often as not, also create situations where the outcome is more likely to be C-section delivery.

No-one would ever dispute that the ‘crisis’ skills of modern medicine have been invaluable in emergency and necessary caesareans, but the trend toward C-section for convenience of mother or doctor and so hospitals and doctors could be ‘safe’ from litigation was always going to have a price.

Mechanised medicine and the materialism of science which mocks the wisdom of nature more often than not has created poor health in the name of profit and position.

The body is not a machine. Every action has an effect. Scientific research in recent years has ‘discovered’, goodness me, how astonishing, that natural birth is actually beneficial – there is a reason for it – and C-section means the baby does not get the natural and required kick-start for its immune response and gut function and so it is born with compromised gut function and immune response.

The latest research now shows that it also predisposes to obesity. One wonders if in years to come people will sue doctors for their ‘elective C-section’ arrival in this world.